Vegetable cleaning table and rolls therefor



Aug, 28, 1951 H. R. HURDELBRINK L 2,565,559

VEGETABLE CLEANING TABLE AND ROLLS THEREF'OR Filed Nov. 5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug, 28 1951 H. R. HURDELBRINK VEGETABLE CLEANING TABLE AND ROLLS TI`IEREFOR Filed NOV. 5, 1945 2 SheetsSheet 2 am mm ,Q Aw m, NLR@ Q .w MV1 EN@ A w mv mm. H HHH v WM; N N Q N .E Ow mi. w

Patented Aug. Z8, 1951 UNITED S'iATiS @FFCE VEGETABLE CLEANING TABLE AND ROLLS THEREFR Herman R. Hurdelbrink, Shelbyville, Mich.

Application November 5, 1945, Serial No. 526,646

Without removing parts of the skin which it is desired to leave on the vegetables.

Second, to provide an eiective means for cleaning onions Which does not abrade or bruise the onions.

Third, to provide a cleaning machine which may be adjusted to meet varying conditions oi the articles cleaned.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will denitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is dened in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of the invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation partially in longitudinal section of a machine embodying my invention especially designed for cleaning onions.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, parts being broken away to show details.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially inV transverse section on line 3--3 of Figs. 1 and 2'.

Fig. 4 is any enlarged fragmentary view mainly in section on a line corresponding to line 4 4 of Fig. 3'.

Fig. 5 is afragmentary longitudinal section on line. 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 illustrating adjustments of the structure.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a main supporting frame I including pairs of uprights 2, 3 and 4, these being connected by cross pieces E.

The cleaning means of my invention comprises side members I which are connected at their front ends by the cross piece l, their rear ends being pivotally mounted on the transverse shaft 8. I provide a series of rollers provided with shafts I0 projecting at the ends of the rollers and journaled in bearings I I provided therefor in the side members 6. The shafts it! project through one side member to receive the sprocket Wheels The rollers 9 are provided with spiral grooves I3, the grooves of adjacent rollers being opposite- 1y pitched. These grooves are of substantial depth and receive the resilient iins I4 which are (Cl. 15-3.1l)

bound in the grooves by the Wires I5. The fins: are preferably formed of strips of rubber folded' around the Wires, the wires being drawn into the grooves and the ends of the wires secured in the end grooves i6 of the rollers. The fins are formed of rubber stock of substantial thicknessl and in practice I have used strips cut from inner tubes. Of course. they could be made of any suitable rubber or flexible material although resilient material is desirable. The ns project substantially from the surfaces of the rollers.

The rollers are driven in counterclockwise or rearward direction as viewed in Figs. l, 5 and 6- and this may be accomplished by means of the flexible sprocket chain Il, the upper reach of which is held in engagement with the sprockets' by means of the upper member I9 of the guard housing 2G.

In the embodiment illustrated the motor 2I is mounted on the support 23 secured on the upper ends of the uprights the shaft 3, which is provided with a driving sprocket not illustrated, comprises the pulley 23 connected by the belt 2li to the motor pulley-25. The shaft 25 of the pulley 23 is provided with a pulley 2l which is in turn connected to the pulley 23 of the shaft 8 by means of the belt 29. This driving arrangement drives the rollers at the desired reduced speed.

The front ends of the side members 6 are adjustably supported on the uprights 2 by meansV of the rods 39 which may be selectively engaged in the vertical series of holes 3D. A feed chute 3l is provided at the front of the rollers, theV onions or other articles to be cleaned being placed readily milled and grooved at 32 to receive the shaft. This facilitates manufacture.

As the onions are conveyed or translated by the cleaning rollers they are discharged on to the grading screen 33 which in turn discharges to the grading screen lili. These grading screens are mounted for reciprocatory motion but this forms no part of my invention and is not described in detail. They are illustrated merely to show the The drive connection toV association of my cleaning mechanism with a suitable grading means.

The driven pulley 28 is controlled by means of the belt tightener lever 35 pivoted at 39 and provided With a suitable retaining segment 37, this lever carrying an idler pulley 59 coacting with the belt 29 to apply driving tension thereto. The side members are provided with ledges 49 on their inner sides which overhang the ends of the rollers, preventing the onions or articles cleaned from being pinched against the side members.

By regulating the inclination of the cleaning rollers the structure may be adapted to meet varying conditions in use, that is, the greater cleaning action required, the greater the pitch of forward inclination should be, and in some conditions a horizontal position or even a rearward inclination might be desirable.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe cer-tain modications or adaptations which I contemplate as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a root vegetable cleaning machine, the combination of a frame, a plurality of transversely disposed equally spaced closely adjacent rollers mounted in said frame in parallel noncontacting coplanar relation and provided with continuous spiral fins consisting of strips of soft resilient continuous material pitched axially of the rollers sulciently to permit the vegetables to contact the rollers between turns of the iins, the fins of adjacent rollers being oppositely pitched and staggered in closely spaced nontouching relation, means for driving said rollers in the same direction and at the same speeds, and means for varying the inclination of the frame and the plane of said rollers transversely of the axes of the rollers.

2. In a vegetable cleaning machine, the combination of a frame, a plurality of transversely disposed rollers mounted in said frame in parallel relation and provided with continuous spiral fins consisting of strips of soft resilient continuous material folded longitudinally and secured to said rollers with their free edges projecting from said rollers, the ns of adjacent rollers being oppositely pitched, and means for driving said rollers in the same direction and at the same speeds, said rollers being spaced to support objects to be cleaned therebetween.

3. In a vegetable cleaning machine, the combination of a frame, a plurality of transversely disposed rollers mounted in said frame in parallel relation and provided with continuous spiral fins consisting of strips of longitudinally folded resilient material, the ns of adjacent rollers being oppositely pitched, and means for Varying the inclination of the frame.

4. In a machine for cleaning root vegetables,

the combination of a frame, and a plurality of transversely disposed rollers mounted in said frame in adjacent parallel relation and provided with continuous spiral ns consisting of strips of continuous soft resilient material, the ns of adjacent rollers being oppositely pitched and disposed in closely spaced nontouching relation at their adjacent edges.

5. A roller for a vegetable cleaning machine comprising a cylindrical member having a spiral groove formed therein, a strip of soft resilient flexible material folded longitudinally and having the folded portion thereof positioned in said groove, and a wire positioned in the folded portion of said strip to hold said strip on said cylindrical member with the free edges of said strip projecting beyond the surface of said member.

6. A roller for a vegetable cleaning machine comprising an elongated cylindrical member having a spiral peripheral groove therein, a strip of resilient material folded longitudinally upon itself and having the bight portion thereof disposed in said spiral groove and substantially continuously lapped on the bottom thereof, and a securing strand disposed in the bight of the folded strip clampingly securing the same to the bottom of the groove with the sides of the folded strip in supported engagement with the side Walls of the groove and projecting therefrom beyond the surface of the cylindrical member.

HERMAN R. HURDELBRINK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 975,452 Peck Nov. 15, 1910 1,735,748 Glenn et al Nov. 12, 1929 1,946,021 Jones Feb. 6, 1934 1,955,749 Jones Apr. 24, 1934 1,975,687 Grabill Oct. 2, 1934 2,099,221 Paxton Nov. 16, 1937 2,099,222 Paxton Nov. 16, 1937 2,178,185 Nicholson Oct. 31, 1939 2,221,682 Sia-s Nov. 12, 1940 2,287,447 Peeples June 23, 1942 2,378,418 Lister June 19, 1945 

